Children's home run by Care 4 Every Child Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2679026 1 Registered provider: Care 4 Every Child Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns and manages this children’s home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, four children were living at the home and were spoken to.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2024.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 14 November 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2679026 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/11/2023 Full Good 04/10/2022 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2679026 3

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The overall experience and progress of children and young people: good

The home is comfortable and has an inviting atmosphere. It is clean and maintained to a high standard throughout. Children’s bedrooms are lovely with lots of personalised items, including family photos. Staff encourage children to make choices about and contribute to cooking meals. Children sit at the dining table with each other and staff to eat. This gives the feeling of a typical family home.

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The overall experience and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress from their starting points. Staff support children to attend and engage with school. Where difficulties arise, the manager advocates on behalf of the children to resolve any barriers. Children enjoy a wide range of activities that enrich their lives. This includes trips away that staff plan with children’s needs in mind.

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The overall experience and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel able to express their views and have these acted upon. Staff know the children well and encourage them to be open. The manager promotes the role of independent advocates for children who want this. Staff provide children with different opportunities to express any concerns or make suggestions for their care.

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The overall experience and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to develop positive relationships with the children. There is a strong sense of mutual respect and affection. Staff speak of and write about children in a caring and empathetic way. Staff understand the needs of individual children and their past experiences very well. Staff use this knowledge to be able to engage children and support them if they feel distressed.

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The overall experience and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote time with family for children in a proactive way. They develop close working relationships with family members. Staff keep family members updated about their children. Staff view parents as equal partners and seek their opinion about ways to care for their child. Staff support children who move on from the home in a positive way. One child has maintained connections with the home. This promotes a sense of belonging for them.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children say they feel safe within the home. They show this through their behaviour and interactions with staff. The home has a relaxed and caring atmosphere. Staff use their knowledge and skills to manage children’s behaviour in a safe way. Restraints that do occur are proportionate, necessary, and for the shortest possible time. The manager completes appropriate follow-up discussions with the staff and the child involved. The manager supports staff to reflect on the event and identify any learning for them.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff respond well to children who go missing. Staff complete searches of the area and known locations to support a safe return home. Staff communicate well with multi- agency partners and family members. They record the actions they have taken in detail. Staff can describe the protocol to follow depending on individual risks for children. Staff Inspection report children’s home: 2679026 4 show warmth and care to children on their return. They use curiosity to explore the reasons why they have gone missing. The manager challenges the local authority if it does not complete a return home interview.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff know and understand the risks for individual children. Written records support this with clear and accessible strategies for staff to manage risk. Staff support children to take age-appropriate risks in line with their development stage. They hold discussions with children that promote a sense of safety. Staff challenge negative behaviour in a sensitive but authoritative way. Staff and the manager model positive behaviour based on an understanding of trauma.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The manager completes all relevant safe recruitment checks for new staff. Leaders take action to ensure children’s safety if there is an allegation against a staff member. Investigations are thorough and timely, with oversight from the responsible individual. Leaders take advice from the local authority designated officer and inform the child’s social worker. The decisions made following investigations are proportionate and child focused.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is an inspirational figure within the home. She is dedicated and ambitious. The manager promotes a culture of high aspiration and positivity. She leads by example by using a caring approach that recognises children’s needs and traumatic experiences. This creates an atmosphere of kindness that is inclusive and welcoming for children who live here.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a thorough understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. She uses feedback from children, staff and others to drive improvements over time. The manager has excellent working relationships with partner agencies and families. A headteacher said: ‘Carolyn and her team are the absolute best team that I have come across in my career.’ Two different parents describe the manager as ‘amazing’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager evidences her oversight of practice in written records. She uses incidents as opportunities for reflection and learning for the staff involved. The manager holds staff team meetings that focus on the children’s needs and are holistic in nature. Leaders praise staff for their work and offer them constructive feedback. There is a shared sense of responsibility for agreed actions. This promotes a culture of teamwork that supports good practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager acts to promote children’s safety where she identifies practice concerns. The manager gives staff clear expectations and uses different methods to ensure compliance. This includes retraining, increased supervision and reflective conversations. When possible, the manager uses a restorative approach to conflict resolution. This helps to maintain positive relationships between children and staff. Inspection report children’s home: 2679026 5 Staff say that they feel very well supported by the management of the home. They feel that they can raise any queries or concerns. Staff and children benefit from stable and experienced leadership from the director and throughout the leadership team. Staffing levels meet children’s needs, with vacant posts filled as needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders hold monthly supervision discussions that are child focused and reflective. Training for staff includes courses specific to the individual needs of the children. Inspection report children’s home: 2679026 6

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under The Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: 2679026 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care 4 Every Child Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Allen Mills Howard & Co, Library Chambers, 48 Union Street, Hyde SK14 1ND

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Angela Hodgkinson

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Inspectors

Sam Saxby-Brown, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Tina Ruffles, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report children’s home: 2679026 8 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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